Additional hardware-implemented security features provide a root of trust (ROT).
It can be used as an embedded Secure Element (eSE).

ST said that chips such as its latest secure microcontrollers will be responsible for ensuring the safety of connected cars, which are expected to reach 150 million to 250 million units by 2020.

Internet connectivity provides cars and drivers with a wide range of services, including software updates, service packs, location-based information, social media, streaming entertainment content, and emergency assistance. This highlights the need to protect connected cars from Internet-based attacks, such as identity theft or compromise of key vehicle systems.

ST's new secure microcontrollers (ST32G512A, ST33G1M2A) leverage ST's market-leading security expertise to provide these protections and are qualified to the rigorous automotive quality standard AEC-Q100. In connected cars, secure microcontrollers handle authentication in a similar way to a smartphone's SIM card.

Additional security features implemented in tamper-proof hardware of the ST33G1M2A allow it to act as an embedded Secure Element (eSE) that provides a root of trust (ROT), preventing attacks on the automotive Engine Control Units (ECUs) or gateways. The ST33 family has already proven its performance in applications such as NFC SIM and NFC embedded secure elements.

Connected cars can be trusted with tamper-proof authentication.
It is very important for car sharing and autonomous and driverless vehicles.

According to ABI Research, more than half of all in-vehicle wireless connections will be via permanently soldered embedded subscriber modules or eUICCs, such as ST’s secure MCUs ST32G512A and ST33G1M2A. “As a leading player in secure microcontrollers, ST is ideally positioned to provide the tamper-proof authentication needed to build consumer trust in connected cars and related services,” said Dominique Bonte, Vice President and Managing Director of ABI Research’s B2B segment. “Strong security will be critical for autonomous and driverless vehicles, which will enable smart-mobility paradigms such as car sharing and more generally transportation services, and reduce emissions and traffic congestion.”

“Connected car technology has tremendous potential to improve the quality of life and safety of drivers and passengers,” said Marie-France Florentin, Group Vice President and General Manager, Secure Microcontroller Division, STMicroelectronics. “ST is committed to providing the best security performance to protect users and enable the development of even more innovative concepts and services,” he explained.

ST's new secure MCUs are ideal for connected car applications as well as M2M communications in harsh environments, such as industrial networking and asset monitoring. Engineers can port already certified software to compatible legacy devices (ST32/ST33), simplifying development and accelerating time to market.

The ST32G512A and ST33G1M2A meet the requirements of key standards applicable to mobile subscriber modules, including ISO 7816 electrical interconnects. The ST32G512A is based on an ARM® Cortex®-M3 32-bit core with a hardware Data Encryption Standard (DES) accelerator that helps optimize application performance. The chip also provides 512KB of user flash memory.

The ST33G1M2A is a proven Secure Element based on the ARM SecurCore® SC300™ 32-bit core. It has passed the very high level of Common Criteria (CC) EAL5+ security evaluation, providing tamper resistance against physical or logical attacks. This high level of certification is a recommendation from the GSMA (GSM Association) and enables remote provisioning and management of eUICCs in difficult-to-access machine-to-machine (M2M) devices. Advanced security features include hardware security-enhanced DES and AES accelerators and a NESCRYPT coprocessor for public-key cryptography. The device features 1280KB of on-chip user flash, 25% larger than competing devices, providing additional storage to enable connectivity to multiple wireless networks.